Disney Installs Test Models for New Entry Gate at Disney California Adventure (Photos Included)

Back in late January, this site reported Disney’s announcement of new entry gates, similar to the ones used at Disneyland Paris, being installed at both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.

This new entry gate signifies Disney’s commitment to investing in the guest experience, making the entry process, which is currently somewhat painful to partake in, a more seamless experience.

There was no word as to an exact date of construction for these new gates, other than a statement from a company spokesperson proclaiming, “later this year (2024)”. Little did we know that they would begin the testing phase so quickly.

Sometime during the weekend of March 9, Disney installed two of the new entry gates at Disney California Adventure, Disneyland’s sister park. This bodes well with their prior statement that DCA would be the first to receive the upgrade.

The new gates are located on the far right side of the gate, if you’re facing the park directly. In the photo above, you can see a tablet-like device, with a camera in the shape of a hidden Mickey at the top. This is where guests will take their pictures when using their ticket or Magic Key for the first time.

Below that is the scanner where you’ll scan your digital ticket or MagicBand+ to gain entry. When the system verifies that the ticket is valid, the transparent gates in the background will automatically open, allowing the guest to enter.

This will be quite the change for Disneyland fans, as for years there have been cast members stationed at each entry point scanning tickets and taking pictures, along with having to navigate the old-school turnstiles.

Interestingly, the new gates will not have a cast member at each entry point. Instead, there will be just a handful stationed at the gates to assist guests with issues with their tickets or with the gate itself.

It should be noted that the gates you see in the photos in this post are test models of the actual thing and may not be the final design. It’s unclear how long these gates will be in the testing phase for, but when they’re done, the models will be removed and construction will begin.

Construction is still set to begin this year and will occur in phases to minimize guest impact. As of the publishing of this post, Disney California Adventure is still expected to receive the new gates first. The project is expected to be completed in early 2025.

While many are excited about this project, just as many are disappointed that Disneyland isn’t getting the gate-less entry that Walt Disney World has, but I believe I know the reason why.

Walt Disney World is its own city, with many of the parks being isolated from the city streets. This makes having a gate-less entry a fairly low-risk endeavor, with slim chances of trespassers walking into the park in the middle of the night.

At Disneyland, the resort is literally surrounded by city streets. Disneyland has cages that enclose their current entry when the parks are closed to prevent trespassers from getting in. If they indeed installed gate-less entry, all anyone would need to do is walk right in.

They would certainly be more convenient, for sure. No argument from me about that. However, they’re just not practical or realistic for Disneyland. Guests at Disneyland Paris love these gates, so I’m excited for the possibilities they’ll bring to the guest experience.